The Perfect Partner
by Veniku
Summary: Seven more days until the annual Ball of Saint-Lyon and poor Ven still does not have a partner. But, what is a girl to do when the only man you want isn't even human...? Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, howdy folks. So this is my first time testing out my writing skills for the publics eye and I hope it is satisfying enough for you all and, if not, I am deeply sorry. ^^;**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Debut in any way, shape, or form. Although, I believe I would have had a blast if I did. XD**

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Chapter One: Secrets

My head pounded once again as I felt myself being swung around by my instructor for the third time that day. My legs were tired, my feet ached and my arms were growing weary from all these pulling and maneuvering that they were being put through. However, throughout this whole ordeal, my mind had yet to stop racing, hence why I had my current headache. Over all of the other discomforts, my head was bothering me the worst, and Kip's loud chirps - of what he claimed to be encouragement - were not helping with its current state. As we separated once more for the finishing pose to our Carmen, I could practically feel the disappointment radiating off of my companion beside me. Kip, not having the eye for dancing at all, applauded loudly for us both, which only made the situation worse.

"Honestly, Ven," Tony stated as he slide a gloved hand over his brow, his large rabbit ears twitching in - what I could only assume to be - annoyance. "If you are not going to take this seriously then I do not believe I should be wasting my time teaching you any longer." Never being the type to shout, Tony had a way with words, and vocal tones, that could either make you feel like the greatest thing to ever walk on the Earth, or like you were the lowest scum to ever crawl out of a trash can. And, unfortunately, this tone was not one used for praising.

Instead of replying to his statement, I kept my head down, hands clasped together at the hem of my dress as I chewed on my bottom lip. Being scolded by Tony was _never_ pleasant but today just made everything worse. It was already the 23rd day of my stay here in the Flower Kingdom and I was running out of time. I had to find a dancing partner, and fast but…I didn't like any of the other Princes here. The only one I had considered was Klaus, but he had made it perfectly clear that he wasn't interested in me as a dancing partner. I know I shouldn't be choosy but I honestly wanted to be matched up with someone I liked for the Ball of Saint-Lyon. Honestly, all of the other men around here were all such…such _children_! **Ah, but there would be a simple solution to this problem,** the little voice inside my head reasoned as I looked up at my mentor through my bangs. **If it wasn't for the fact he was my mentor!**

"Can you at least tell me what has caused you to lose so much of your concentration? You've been like this for the past few days now…" His voice almost held a hint of concern that caused my back to stiffen and my head to rise just slightly. I focused my gaze on his handsome face, regardless of its rabbit features, and felt my voice begin to rise to the surface, my mouth parting in preparation for its release.

Realizing that I was not completely sure of what I was planning on saying, I was suddenly afraid of what secrets could escape while in my worn out state. So, in order to protect myself, I snapped my mouth back shut and quickly shifting my eyes down and away from his lingering gaze. Popping my lower lip back into my mouth, I wrestled with the idea of telling Tony about everything: the real Princess; coming here from my normal, homework filled world; how I had been shot down by Klaus; how Kip keeps pushing me towards the other Princes; how I want only one man to dance with me, and he isn't even a real man! All of these topics, and more, were bubbling just behind my throat, begging to be released from their dark space locked away in my mind, but I couldn't seem to open up to him. He was, after all, just my instructor. I knew better than to open up to him. _It's just like opening up to my old teachers back in my time,_ I reasoned when a wave of guilt nestled its way into my chest. _I wouldn't have trusted this with Mr. Haven!_

Which was true, I would not have opened up to Mr. Haven. However Tony is definately **not **Mr. Haven...

"I'm afraid," I heard myself began, and my eyes widened in panic. _Dear lord! What am I saying?_ I had never experienced the feeling of being on auto-pilot, but if this was how it felt - as if you have been pulled apart from your own body and are watching anxiously for your next move - I did not like it one bit! I tried to stop myself again; to cough or sneeze, hell even a burp would have been welcome right at this moment to save myself, but I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be that lucky. Thankfully, Tony was able to save me unknowingly by asking for confirmation after he had waited long enough.

"Afraid of what, Ven?" His voice floated above me softly, the gentle ring of concern echoing out as he spoke. I couldn't stop my heart from reacting as it speed up in rhythm.

_Don't be stupid!_ I scolded myself as I rose my head a little, staring blankly in front of me. _He's my teacher, of course he's going to be concerned. If I'm upset or sad, I will not be able to perform to the best of my ability, which would make him look back as an instructor._ It stung to think about, but that was the only truth I allowed myself to see as I lifted my mocha colored eyes to meet his ruby-colored ones to answer him. "I'm afraid that I'm missing at the ending chorus, right before the ending…" **So you choose to run away again, eh?** _Yes…_ I couldn't face rejection nor could I openly discuss my situation with him. What would he think of me if he found out I was not a real princess? I'd be just some random girl that he'd no longer want to teach…

After all of the days we've been working together, I knew Tony could see past my lies by now. He always knew when something far more complex was going on. However he never pried. He allowed me the space and time I needed, just as he did now. Taking my answer whole-heartily, he smiled in that kind, caring way that only Tony could and stretched a hand out for me to take. "Then, care for one more practice, Princess?"

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**And that's all she wrote, for now.**

**Please review with your thoughts and opinions.****I am not exactly sure where I am heading with this particular story yet, so any suggestions are very much appreciated. Thank you kindly.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, hey there again. Here is the second chapter to The Perfect Partner fic.**

**I hope it is as entertaining to you as it has been to my wonderful tester.3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Debut, peirod. x3**

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Chapter Two: The Dangers Of The Samba…

After the incident with Carmen the other day, I decided to change our dance today to something a little bit more upbeat and fun, that way I would be able to forget about my current dilemma by dancing to the catchy rhythm.

Oh how I was wrong.

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During our practices we had switched between my two favorite songs, in order to see how adaptable I was - Tony's reasoning - and to calm my nerves: the Funiculм funiculа and the Turkish March. While we were dancing, Kip kept yelling out steps - "One two three four!" - as loud as his little body would allow, which caused my steps to be off the beat a few times, but Tony didn't seem to mind. If anything, he seemed to be in a wonderful mood today, all smiles and compliments.

"Very well done, Ven. I'm very thrilled to know that the hardest pieces that I had for you to learn are your easiest and most liked." He praised for the umpteenth time that day. I felt my face grow hot from both embarrassment and pride at the look he was giving me. He seemed so proud of me at that moment that I felt invincible.

By the time we had practiced both songs twice, I was covered in sweat. My mentor didn't seemed to be fairing any better than me, his suit seemed to almost stick to him in such a delicious way that I had to keep myself from openly staring - and we won't even get into his pants! My favorite outfit, the purple dress I was adorn each time I put on my Magical Choker I won from my very first dance contest I had ever entered, was sticking to my torso so much that I felt a little uncomfortable being around both males. True I was only a 15 year old girl (?) and I had no reason to worry, but I was rather developed for my age, and I felt extremely self conscious about my noticeable bust. Now with my skin tight dress top clinging to me, I couldn't help but feel even more nervous.

Of course, my wonderful, always the gentlemen teacher either paid no mind to my sweaty attire or simply did not notice it. He never commented on my choices on clothing when we danced, which I was both saddened and happy by that. True, I did not want Tony to be noticing every little thing about my clothing choices due to his perfectionism, but I also wouldn't have minded him noticing a new wardrobe selection every once in a while…

"Wow Princess! You sure are sweaty!" Came that oh so lovable Kip once again, deciding that the obvious just had to be spoken. I felt myself flush before hissing at Kip to keep quiet. _Ugh! Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? Everything was going so well too…_ Placing a hand over my face in shame, I felt myself begin to move away from both Kip and my mentor, wishing to escape for the room.

"Don't be ashamed Princess," Tony's voice broke the silence after a moment, causing me to look up at his ruby eyes in surprise. A gentle smile was adoring his face as his ears flickered to and fro atop his head. "Think of the sweat and exhaustion as a sign of your progress. You've done exceptionally well, so a little sweat is to be expected." Staring up at him for a moment more, I placed a hand over my mouth as a laugh escaped, my other hand flying to my stomach. I felt my eyes well up with tears, and doubled over in an attempt to hide them. Kip, the ever present observer, quickly saw them and floated to my aid, shouting some nonsense about how he didn't mean to upset me with his comment and that there wasn't any need to cry. His fretting only caused my laughter to increase in its fever, which caused me to eventually fall to my knees in hysterics.

After some time I was able to come back to my senses and I looked up at both of my companions, my face red from both laughing and crying as hard as I had. "S-sorry you two," I giggled, lifting a hand to my mouth once more to try and calm my nerves before speaking again. "I guess…I needed to laugh." I simply stated, looking from Kip to Tony in order to judge their reaction to my strange behavior.

Kip still looked dumbfounded. He seemed to be fighting with himself on whether to reassure me that it was alright that I laughed or to again apologize for his incompetence. Tony, on the other hand, found the whole situation to be amusing and had been chuckling silently to himself during my whole confession, grinning down at me with the handsomest of faces. With a wave of the hand, he motioned for me to stand back up in front of him, which I did, and his smile widened.

"Dear Ven, if all you needed was a laugh then you should have simply said so, I could have been of some assistance to you." He gently scolded me as I took my spot to his side, facing him, in order to practice the Turkish March one last time. Both our smiles remained as the music began. Our bodies floated with the music with such ease that I felt I had just danced for the first time today. And, according to the look in my instructor's eye, he could feel the weightlessness as well.

As the move I affectionately named "the pinwheel" approached, I readied myself, my hand outstretched to lightly catch his waste. We spun in perfect time before abruptly coming to a stop in order to begin the "hip shake" - as Kip likes to say - with flawless precision. But, there was something different in the way we were positioned. We were too close to each others bodies, and I could feel the heat radiating off of Tony as he placed himself behind me. _I must have miscounted my steps in my head,_ I reasoned as I blushed scarlet. Our hips moved in perfect rhythm, shaking side to side in unison, as they should have, it was just...I could feel him _move_. I shouldn't have been able to feel the material of his pants against my backside; feel the gentle nudging of his knee against my clothed upper thigh as he shifted his hips; I could have almost sworn I felt the lightest grazing of his pelvis against my hip as we danced. All at once I lifted my head up in shock, breaking the rhythm completely as I looked up with confused eyes. My mentor, who obviously noticed the closeness as well, shifted his gaze to mine for a brief second, allowing me to see the embarrassment and shock in his own, before he gently pulled my right hand out and away from himself, pushing me into the rest of the dance, effectively brushing off the uncomfortable moment as best he could.

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"That was amazing you guys! You looked like you were both walking on water! Especially in the beginning! It was like magic!" My little pink, floating friend shrieked loudly as the dance came to a close. I could still feel my heart racing from the first strange contact me and Tony had witnessed in the beginning of our dance, and I wasn't sure if I was happy for that contact or not yet… Tony hadn't looked at me throughout the rest of the dance, which caused me to believe that what had happened was not considered acceptable in the least. I felt my face flame up as my body came back under control and I suddenly realized what _actually _happened. _Oh goodness…when we were dancing, we got too close!_ I wasn't sure if I was ashamed or embarrassed, either way, I knew that things were going to be extremely awkward if I didn't apologize right away!

"T-Tony," I began as I looked up at my instructor once again, my face darken even more, if at all possible, from the understanding of what had happened. "I am so sor-"

"Ven, I think we are done here for today." Came my mentor's voice, booming throughout the small practice hall. My eyes widened at the cold tone he held and I bit my lip hard to stop myself from whimpering. His eyes were pricing my own with such a look, but I couldn't tell what it meant to say. They seemed blank, void of any emotion at all, and it scared me to think that Tony, my friend and dancing instructor, had become so indifferent to me all because of an accident.

Fearing my own voice, I bowed low and turned towards the exist, desperate to get out of the uncomfortable room and away from his gaze. I took off at a run, never looking back as I made my way back to the Princess's small, cozy little room to hide. My blood was pounding so hard in my ears that I was deaf to Kip's calls of concern behind me; the only thing I wanted was to get safely behind the Princess's bedroom door, and curl up in her sheets and lock myself up in shame of what happened.

If I had stayed a little longer, if I had not run to the safety of the small little room beside the castle as fast, I would have been able to see Tony standing in front of the practice mirror inside of the practice hall. Seen his ears dangle low in front of his face as he bent his head. See his fists shake with tension as his knuckles turned white. See the look in his eyes as he looked at his own reflection - the pain and longing that were hidden deep within those ruby depths. All before he cried out and smashed his gloved hand into the mirror, forever distorting his pained reflection from himself and the world.

If only I had stayed a little longer…

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**Well, there you have it.**

**I felt a little iffy with the dancing explanation due to the fact that I find it extremely difficult to describe things like that without fumbling. The cute nicknames were my only escape from what would have been an extremely awkward wording problem. ^^;**

**Please review with your comments, concerns, advice, suggestions; whatever you feel like, really. I'm all ears for anything you all might have to say.**

**Until next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello darlings. Been a while, eh?**

**I wish I had an excuseable reason for being silent for months, but I'm afraid I don't...**

**Along with a horrible case of writer's block, I got caught up in the wonderful world of Dragon Age and Harvest Moon: Animal Parade. When I wasn't enjoying myself a little bit of Fenris and the Harvest King I was either cleaning house, dealing with the dogs, taking care of my sick family members, dealing with college stuff, cooking, working on this chapter that took FOREVER, or just being sick. Also I recently bought a couple new books and just HAD to read them, despite knowing I had an obligation to fulfill for you all. I hope you can forgive me. Here is your long awaited third chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. 'Kay, thanks.**

**Enjoy.~**

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Chapter Three: Subconscious Desires

It's strange how music can almost control you and help you to forget about trivial things. How the beat can get your body moving as if you had no control over it. It's a wonderful thing, really, but strange as well.

Or maybe all music does is open your heart to your desires, the ones hidden deep from others around you, and shove them to the surface. Making you subconsciously do what you have always wanted.

Or maybe we'll never know what music truly does to a person. Each individual treats music different due to their preferences, maybe the effects of music also vary due to that reason. Who truly knows? But I do know one thing...

I think I might like what music can do to me.

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I am not ready. It is as simple as that.

The dancing contest that I had been so excited for during the last couple of weeks was to be my downfall. Without a dancing partner, I would have to drop out of the competition. If I dropped out, "Father" would be most upset with me. He found my renewed love for dancing to be a "miracle", how could I disappoint someone like a king anyhow?

Which explains why I'm standing awkwardly in the lavish ballroom of the dance hall, getting ready for my doom. All of the available princes had already asked for my hand this evening and, like the stubborn girl I am, I refused them. They all seemed shocked, considering it was painfully obvious I was without a partner. Despite their worried remarks, I stayed true to my decision - even if I didn't agree with it wholly myself.

"Princess, we don't have time to be picky! Without a dance partner you will be unable to enter the competition!" Kip attempted to reason with me as I refused little Vince for the second, and hopefully the last time. I bit the inside of my mouth, frowning as I glanced over at my furry friend.

_You know he has a point,_ a voice chimed in my head as I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed in frustration. Sure, I **knew** that I shouldn't be making this difficult. Sure, I **knew** that any of these princes would do for the competition. _But..._ The nagging tug at my heart kept pulling at me away from them. To just wait a few more minutes. He'll show up, he always does...

"Princess Ven, it's almost time! You're supposed to be the first act!" Snapping out of my troubling thoughts, I locked my eyes with the clock again and mentally groaned. _Face it, girl. He's not showing up. After last time-..._ I blinked away at the sudden stinging in my eyes as I was faced with the incident from two days ago all over again. It had been awkward, strange, embarrassing, and nerve wrecking but not **horrid**. _At least not to me..._

That was the whole point though. It hadn't been horrible to me. But to him...who knew what had went through his mind. The whole practice was wonderful up until that last dance. He praised me as if I had just perfected the art of dancing completely. I let all of those praises, his smile, the gleam in his eye go to my head. Perhaps that was why he acted so cold towards me. I had allowed myself to lose concentration, get cocky. I hadn't used his teachings to good use. _Snap out of it!_ I scolded myself and shook my head hard enough to make myself slightly dizzy. I wouldn't get a partner complaining about what had gone wrong with me and my mentor. All I could do was move on and perform, to out show my teacher as best as I could.

Inhaling sharply I quickly scanned the room for any other available princes. To my relief my eyes scanned over green hair that could only belong to Liam, the kind gentlemen that adored flowers. Settling my gaze on him, I swallowed thickly and pursed my lips together as my heart began tugging at me once more, telling me that he wasn't _right_. That Liam wasn't the one I truly wanted. _Unfortunately, I don't have much other choice,_ I reasoned as I made my way to him.

To my surprise Liam had yet to notice me as I approached him, he seemed to be staring off into space with that charming, innocent smile on his face. _Probably thinking about Olive again,_ I assumed with a slight smile. That was probably the only reason that kept me from pairing up with Liam in the first place. He had a BAD little sister complex. At first I found it rather endearing at how much he truly cared for his sister, but after the constant remarks of me reminding him of her - let's just say it got rather awkward rather quickly. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have minded being partners with Liam to begin with, he is one of the only men around here that doesn't consider himself a dancing prodigy of some kind, or smoothly attempt to win my heart over with smooth talking and a huge ego. _It's kind of too bad we didn't work out, he seems like such a nice guy._

"Oh Ven, it's nice to see you. Coming to watch the performance as well?" Liam finally noticed me as I made my way to stand completely in front of him. I giggled at his offer and felt myself smile down at him. He really was such a charmer.

"Maybe I should. It would be nice to just sit and-"

"No, I am sorry Prince Liam but Princess Ven will not be able to join you this evening." A voice rose up from behind me as I was pulling a chair from beside Liam to sit. I blinked and swiveled to meet two ruby eyes glinting angrily at me. I felt my throat constrict at the sight and immediately tensed as a warm, furred hand latched onto my arm to yank me back up onto my feet. "Again, my apologies but my partner and I must have a word with each other before the performance. Good day." I hadn't a chance to argue as I was being led away by a firm grip, my heart doing flips with every step.

"Hmm, how interesting..." I barely caught as I looked back over my shoulder to see a knowing glint in Liam's eyes, before a wide grin broke onto his face.

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"Which number?"

"P-pardon?" I stammered as I fought to catch my breath. We had walked only a little, just outside the ball room and into a grand hallway - which had been emptied as all the competitors and guests rushed the dance floor - but my heart felt like I had just ran a marathon from my old PE class. I was nervous and I could already feel sweat beginning to bead above my brow.

"I asked which number you wanted to perform." Came the gruff reply as Tony stared down at me with expressionless eyes. I winced at the cold indifference in his tone and bit down hard on the side of my mouth, trying to force down reappearing tears.

This was not the situation I had played in my head nearly all afternoon as I had waited for my mentor to arrive. Sure, I hadn't expected any hugs or anything, but to be greeted with such obvious annoyance, I felt almost sick. The sadness I felt was slowly turning into anger; anger at Tony for acting so cold towards me, anger at myself for disappointing Tony to begin with, and anger at dancing all together - for it was the whole start of this mess! Since I couldn't take my hurt out on dancing, and I stubbornly refused to push all of the blame on myself, I exploded on Tony, barely able to keep my voice from shouting.

"What number? What **number**? How dare you!" I snapped, feeling my face flush a bright pink from my rage. "What right do you have of storming in and stealing me away from a friend of mine, hmm? Just because I didn't want to dance in **one** competition, you feel it is your duty to force it of me? Besides, you certainly didn't seem to want to dance with me again after our last practice session! Why suddenly do you have a change of heart? If you're worried about my Father getting angry with you, don't worry. I'll explain to him myself that **I** didn't want to perform tonight and that **I** accepted Liam's offer to sit with him and watch!"

I wasn't done, not by a long shot, but I needed to breathe and my panting was making that rather difficult. I hadn't released all of my anger out yet, not even the tiniest bit of it was gone, but I knew that I couldn't keep on like I had been. The more I spoke, the more upset I became and I felt tears spring up to my eyes again but fought them as hard as I could. There was no way in hell I was going to allow Tony to see how much his attitude was affecting me, **hurting** me.

And, of course, he just stood there. Staring down at me with those beautiful, ruby depths. The longer we stood there in silence, the more I wanted to just fall into a ball at his feet and cry. Or punch him square in his rabbit nose. Mentally I was rooting for the latter of the too. After a moment more I felt the first tear slide down my check and I averted my gaze from his, refusing to give him the satisfaction. Unfortunately with crying, with one tear comes many more and soon I was sniffling as I tried to cease bawling like a child in front of the man that both filled my heart with such happiness only to break it into tiny pieces for me to piece back together later.

I couldn't tell you what my instructor had been doing the whole time I was crying, my head was down and both hands were up whipping fruitlessly at each traitorous tear that escaped under my lashes. I hadn't even noticed he had moved until I suddenly felt two strong arms slide over my shoulders and pull me forward into a clothed chest.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. All rage was forgotten and my first reaction was to tense up and snap my eyes open wide. I clutched my hands under my chin and furrowed my brow, immediately unsure of what to do. The one man I had wanted to hold me ever since we met was making my secret dreams come true, but it was for the wrong reasons. I was crying. He had hurt me. Of course he feels obligated to try and make amends. _He probably doesn't want dear ol' Daddy to catch wind that he made his daughter cry,_ I growled to myself as I felt my anger bubble up ten-fold once again in the pit of my stomach. Using both hands I pressed hard against his chest, attempting to break his hold, but he held fast locking his arms around me as if his life depended on it.

Lowering his head, I felt his chin brush against side of my temple, his breath fanning out across the side of my face and neck. I shivered and shut my eyes tight, trying to locate the pent-up rage from deep within me for this man in front of me - and I failed. I felt him relax as I did; my body melting further into his as my hands gripped onto his suit jacket so hard that my knuckles turned white. I pushed my face into the material as well, refusing to meet eyes with him as I felt more tears threatening to spill over, this time of bitter sadness.

"Ven," I heard him whisper against my hair as his large hands slowly, gently rubbed soothing circles along my back. Through his suit jacket I could feel his heart thumping away, softly luring me to calm down and submit to it's gentle rhythm. I couldn't help but feel slightly cheated through the fuzzy haze of tranquility all around me; he had successfully molded me into a puddle of goo in his arms, defusing the uncomfortable situation all together. He truly was a talented man-rabbit.

"Are you alright?" I felt—more than heard—him ask as he pulled away from my grasp gently in order to look down on my face. Unsure of how to answer him, or how I could face him after such a strange moment, I kept my head down and nodded. I **did** feel a bit better now that I had cried most of my frustration away. Now I was just at a loss of what to do. I had bared my heart to him about his hurtful actions and he had listened, even attempted to relax me out of all of my anger. But, he never apologized or explained why.

I guess that was to be expected...

And yet, there were still many more surprises left in store for me.

\_-*~*-_/

Despite having felt like hours, our little tiff ended up lasting only a meager five minutes. Giving us plenty of time before the first competitors were to be announced to the crowd of guests back in the ballroom. We quickly decided on a routine for the night - we were having a hard time deciding between Funiculì funiculà and it's sister song, Danny Boy. We eventually stuck with the latter, since we out danced Funiculì funiculà on our last practice run - and mimicked the steps of the piece silently to ourselves in the hall. It didn't take long for me to fall into the groove of things, since the steps were practically identical besides a few here and there.

Tony announced we were ready and entered the ballroom as silently as we could as to not draw attention to ourselves. Despite knowing our performance was going to be flawless, as usual, I couldn't help the butterflies from causing a panic within my stomach. Kip, who had just noticed us return, had scurried over to my side and chattered away about the first contestants: some Prince and Princess duo from a different region. Despite having picked a lovely Tango piece, I wasn't too worried. The girl was extremely nervous so I could tell she'd have a few slip ups here and there - and I was I wasn't disappointed. Despite those small problems, they did fine for beginners and both Tony and I clapped in support for them.

Next came Cesar with a Princess from a kingdom near his own. It seemed they were too engrossed in each other to do much of dancing, and had picked a nice, leisurely waltz. They did well though, and the judge seemed impressed and how well they worked, and looked, together. I couldn't help but grin.

After them came two more couples that I had never met before. They did well also, performing a Quickstep with ease and a Viennese Waltz rather gracefully. It seemed that me and Tony would be the only ones to choose a Latin piece as our number.

"That's not uncommon, Princess," Tony had commented after I voiced my thoughts aloud. "Most individuals that wish to impress a crowd of nobility tend to stick with the more traditional pieces. Yet, however beautiful, most nobles have come to frown upon such simplicities like the Waltz or Tango simply due to the monotonousness of it all. They want to see something lively, something more impressive - which is what we will give them."

Finally our names were called and we stepped out into the middle of the dance floor. The announcer asked us for our song choice and gave us both thankful smiles at the answer before turning to the audience - "And our last couple of the evening is Princess Ven and her instructor, Tony. They will be performing an up-beat Jive piece for us, Danny Boy." And with that we started.

Just as I predicted, the dance was flawless. Me and Tony were in perfect harmony with each other as we swiveled and spun around dance floor. The crowd had actually started to clap along to the rhythm itself, causing me to laugh in the middle of our show. Tony gave me a warm smile in return and I felt my heart swell all over again. It was if we had never fought, and I loved every minute of it.

However, as soon as it started the song seemed to come to an end almost abruptly, leaving me and my mentor in our ending position, hand-in-hand with him blocking the crowd's view of my body. We seemed to linger in that spot for a moment longer than necessary, soaking in as much of the moment as possible, before pulling back to stand side-by-side and bow before our on-lookers. We gained a grand applause and even a shout of, "Encore!" or two. Respectfully declining we both made our way back into the crowd to wait the results with Kip.

"Alright! Now is the time that we have all been waiting for! My greatest congratulations to... Princess Ven and Tony!" The ballroom was in an uproar with applause that I almost had to cover my ears. We walked up to the stage and accepted the praises thrown at us - and I was given a gift by my loving Father for such a beautiful performance - before everyone began filing out of the small building to go home. A couple of the Princes had congratulated me, as well, exclaiming that I had such a talented gift and that, if I ever reconsidered, I should partner up with them for the big ball that was approaching. Of course I declined as politely as I could.

Liam, who had stayed after to congratulate me as well, was now standing before us smiling as he always does. However the look in his eyes seemed to say much more than what his mouth was letting on. "I'm so happy for you both," he had practically cooed as he presented me with a flower - a Lily, Olive's favorite. "To think that you'd be able to dance one-on-one with your instructor so gracefully, it's almost as if you two were a **real** couple." I hadn't put too much stock into what Liam had said, it was well known that he had the tendencies of being a wistful thinker. And, _really_, me and Tony? A couple? That was ridiculous! We were teacher and student, nothing more. _Unfortunately..._

However, after his strange statement, Liam found something much more pressing to take care of and left us both with a knowing smile. We stood there in confusion for a while, unsure of what to make of him, until Kip's voice floated through the air. "Hey, you know you're both done dancing now. You can let go of each other."

On cue we both look over to Kip and then to each other, mocha eyes meeting ruby, before slowly looking down to our hands. Sure enough, at the end of our dance, we subconsciously held onto one another after everything was over. Even long after: during the applause, the award, **and** the kind words from each Prince. I felt my face heat up and I looked up to my mentor's face again, fearing I'd see the cold indifference from two days ago. Instead I was met with equally surprised eyes and scarlet, furry cheeks.

\_-*~*-_/

**Now, now. Before everyone freak out that I didn't follow the "Dance Contest Panic!" day to a 'T', just know that I didn't feel like going back and replaying a game ALL the way until this day came. I had erased my Tony file a while ago, replacing it with a Klaus one. Tehehe.~**

**So, for those of you that will notice that, yes, this isn't the right contest for the chat with Liam or the whole Cesar thing, just know that I really didn't want to stay up late playing Princess Debut all night just to get the information needed in order to re-make this whole day on here exactly as it is in the game. Besides, I find this to be a bit more entertaining, don't you?**

**Well, there you have it, another chapter for those that actually enjoy this story (for some unknown reason). I can't say for certain when the next chapter will be posted, but I have an idea in mind that I hope will work out well. As always, reviews are very welcome and appreciated.**

**Until next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alrighty, so I know it's been a long while but I do have an excuse this time.**

**The beginning of this year has came with some rather upsetting for me and my family. My grandfather and great aunt both passed away in a two week span between each other. Perhaps a month after them, our family dog, Maddy, died also. So I've been rather upset over those sort of things.**

**Along with the horrible parts of my year, I have also gotten a job babysitting for my cousin's two year old son. It's fun but also extremely tiresome. I've came home and just not wanted to do anything. Along with the lack of motivation, this story has just not been my top priority. Forgive me.**

**I hope this chapter makes up for it in some way.**

\_-*~*-_/

Chapter 4: Liam Attacks.

Today was supposed to be a day off for me, as a reward from myself for doing so well at the last dance competition. So, why I was being dragged from my flying pancake attack filled dream was a mystery to me. Especially since both Kip and Tony knew I had planned to take it easy today and had promised to leave me to my relaxation.

\_-*~*-_/

"Princess, wake up!" I kept hearing shout next to my head, rousing me from my sleep much to early. Growling, I distinctly remembered rolling away from the offending sound, planning on ignoring my intruder until they gave up and left me be.

Of course nothing ever goes my way.

I never expected Kip to be the type to skimp out on his promises or be forgetful enough to break them; he always seemed very strict about things like that. But, when I'm being forced out of my bed earlier than the sun itself - I was not mistaking this as an "accident" on Kip's part anymore. He obviously did **not **want me enjoying this free day at all. And to add insult to injury, the furry creature refused to explain why it was so important to get up at this ungodly hour.

And yet, I suppose I owed the little guy a thing or two – he _was _helping me hide here in the Flower Kingdom, after all – so, none to happily, I agreed with his persistent nagging and got dressed. Just as I was about to question Kip, again, on where we were heading off to so early in the morning, a knock came from my bedroom door signally a visitor.

_Ugh! Do people here not sleep?_ I was definitely not happy with how my day was progressing, but I had a reputation to uphold. Opening the door to my bedroom, I was met with Liam's charming smile and a handful of lilies pushed in my face. Against my wishes I felt my right eye twitch just slightly.

"Princess Ven, so nice to see you up and dressed already!" He praised and let himself into my corridors with a pat on the shoulder. My mind was still a little fuzzy from just waking up; so I wasn't able to formulate a retort against his intrusion fast enough to make a difference. Glaring at him and Kip – once Liam announced himself, I could tell Kip had previous knowledge to his visit – for ganging up on me on my free day, I folded my arms over my chest and pouted.

Kip didn't seem to like my rudeness towards our guest, however. "You should be thanking Prince Liam, Ven," he scolded me as he gathered a few items from my room and assembled them into a picnic basket. "He planned this whole thing after the contest yesterday!"

Frowning in confusion I bit my tongue and fought hard to remain silent until I got more information about what today would bring me. _I have a bad feeling about this,_ I grumbled mentally, waiting for Liam to bring out the 'big guns' and attempt to steal me as his partner again. Who would have thought that the nice ones were the most persistent when denied, eh?

"Yes, Princess Ven," Liam practically purred at me as he nodded to Kip that he was ready. Walking towards me, he offered me his hand and ushered me out of the room. "You'll have such a wonderful time, I just know it." That knowing smile was on his lips again, sending shivers up my spin and I prayed to every God above that I would get through this day alive.

\_-*~*-_/

Come to find out, today wasn't going to be that bad after all. A pleasant afternoon in Foxtrot Forest, listening to the cute, furry animals play music wasn't my _first _choice of entertainment for the evening, but I had to admit that it was better than doing nothing but sleep. The day had already come and gone, leaving a crisp, cool evening in its wake as the nocturnal animals started to come alive.

The music had began to change through the course of the afternoon; turning from the soft, warm harmonies of the Waltz and Tangos that were preformed, to the energetic hum of the speedy Samba and Paso Doble. It was almost torture, forcing myself to sit through each piece without falling to the temptation of dancing.

It wasn't that I didn't want to dance, on the contrary, I wanted nothing more than to jump up and twirling into the center of the make-shift dance floor – Kip had assumed that me and Liam would dance the night away at the concert, apparently – and accompany those beautiful notes. I was only refusing because there was no one, other than my princely companion, to dance with and I did **not **want to dance alone in front of others. I was determined to steel myself from the temptation and keep my mind occupied in order to fight off the urge. Despite my resolve, however, I felt myself beginning to falter, catching my eyes straying off towards Liam not once but twice throughout the event. And to top it off, that green-haired, flower-loving man knew I was slipping. And yet, despite the perfect opportunity for him to get a dance out of me, he stayed put and seemed content just listening to the music by my side. _What was he waiting for?_

"It seems we have finally gotten our chance to just sit back and watch the performances play out in front of us, haven't we?" Despite my annoyance with him, I found myself grinning at his statement, agreeing with him whole-heartedly. We _were _getting the chance to relax and just survey the sight before us. If you overlooked the horrid tingling in my limbs as they practically screamed at me to sway in step with each beat, the afternoon was quickly becoming one of the most relaxing experiences I've ever witnessed.

Don't get me wrong, though. Just because I was enjoying myself didn't mean I wasn't still on guard when it came to Liam. He seemed to have an insight about today that escaped me, much like how my friends and family had acted on my last birthday. Mother and Father had wanted to give me a surprise birthday party, and so had not told me about any of the preparations. To be honest, we hadn't even spoke of my birthday as a family at all in the days prior. I almost forgot the day was close. Walking home from school that day, I had that instinctual feeling that something was about to happen; all my friends had been a little hesitant to give me my birthday congratulations, I hadn't received a vase of flowers from the head office of my school as my annual gift before my trip home. Even the people on my block seemed to be skittish around me, as if they were holding a secret from me that I was not allowed to know.

In the end, my parents had invited every friend I had plus the whole block to this party and had hidden them in our backyard, somehow. It was a wonderful surprise, over all, but this feeling with Liam was more of the ominous kind. Maybe not completely horrible, but something not very pleasant was on its way for me.

And of course Liam wasn't talking.

\_-*~*-_/

"Princess, don't you think you could give us just one dance? Please?" Kip whined for the sixth time that night as the Samba piece Tico Tico began to play throughout the small clearing. I decided that ignoring him was my best tactic, since rejecting his proposal was obviously not working.

"Yes, Ven," Liam coaxed beside me, bringing a glass of apple juice to his lips with a grin. "Perhaps a nice spin to the Samba might make your night, hmm?" I could clearly hear the amusement dripping from his tongue as he lazily draped his right leg over his left and rhythmically swayed his hand – which was still holding the glass around the rim – like a conductor to the music. I don't think I've ever wanted to punch someone so badly in my life. _Oh wait, there was that one time…_

To add to the pleasantries, that long-eared, albino furred, ruby eyed rabbit had began to worm his way into my thoughts as well. Despite having had a "moment" – if you could call it that – with the man only just yesterday, I hadn't spoke to him since then, and I really didn't want to. I wasn't sure what to say to him. The awkward state we were left in after our dance had not helped with our crazy, up-in-the-air relationship. We are teacher-and-student. We are friends; _I'd like to think. _But after that the lines seem to blur together, making any solid description of "us" mingle with hidden feelings, suspicious behavior and unsaid words (declarations?).

And, to make matters worse, we were not the only ones to notice the shifted dynamics of our relationship. The fact that Liam made a comment yesterday, and all of the small remarks Kip has made about our "closeness" over the course of these long thirty days; I no longer knew which direction is up or down. If this is the way it is always going to be when I find myself attracted to someone, I vow no more men. Ever. Despite how wonderful that would be, I have a feeling that it will never be as simple as that…

However, despite all of that, I still found myself missing his company this evening. Being just the dancing instructor, I hadn't truly expected him to show up at this little concert. But that didn't stop me from occasionally casting a searching eye through the wooded lining, silently hoping that I'd be met with rubies staring back at me. Of course I was disappointed each time, and I shouldn't have been surprised with that fact but that certainly didn't stop me from continuing to scan the woods, hoping.

"Are you alright, Ven?" Liam called, snapping me back to reality. Looking towards Liam I searched for his eyes, internally pleading for red-tinted depths to be looking back at me but was met with two emerald gems. Pushing down the tug of disappointment, I smiled at Liam for both his and my own benefit and arched an eyebrow in question. "You seemed to have zoned out for a moment," I heard him pause and regard my face closely, making my cheeks heat up involuntarily. That gaze could be most unsettling, at times. Almost as if he could read my mind. He must have found his answer to whatever question he had asked himself, because that impish grin was again back on his face in a flash. "Perhaps you were looking for someone?"

To say it was his words or that knowing look that caused all the blood in my upper body to abandon their missions and rush quickly to my face, I didn't know. But it was obvious that, regardless of the reason, I was blushing scarlet from the tips of my ears to the bottom of my neck. I even felt a sudden light-headedness due to the quick transition that made me duck my head down to settle my vision so the trees would stop swaying. Somewhere before me I heard a chuckle.

"So you _were _searching of someone. Oh how saddening, Ven. While I'm trying to be the perfect host during our lovely date, you're looking for another's company…" I couldn't say anything as shame over took me in waves. I wanted to curl up into a ball on in the grass and just hide away like a wounded animal. I was certain that Liam had not a clue as to who I had been hoping to find in the tree line, so I tried to stop myself from reacting further to the prince's teasing. _It's not like that rabbit's name is written on my face,_ I reasoned. Clinging to that piece of knowledge, I decided to stand my ground against the flower-lover for picking on me.

"Maybe I am. Perhaps I am in need for company that's a little more _attentive_," I shot back after regaining control of my blood flow again. I was still blushing but it had diminished greatly, making my cheeks a little rosy, which gave me a boost of confidence as I stared Liam in the eyes. If it was possible, his grin seemed to grow a tad more.

"Oh how horrible of me! I suppose I have not been the best host for your evening, have I?" He sighed, and an apologetic look came upon his face before his eyes flickered towards the makeshift stage. A grin slowly spread along his face and I shivered as a mischievous glint made its way to his eyes. "How about I make it up to you, hmm? One dance, as my apology?"

\_-*~*-_/

I knew it was a trap before the music even began.

It was just going to be a relaxing step to Under the Double Eagle. Nothing too awkward. The song started out perfect; Liam pulled and swung me towards each step accordingly. Kip and the other animals all gushed as we expertly glided along the stage. However, after our second round, we had allowed ourselves a small breather right before our finish. Liam had pulled me to the side while we were setting up our beginning poses with a mysterious smile.

"How would you feel about a little change of pace, Princess?" He inquired with a wink. Before I could question him further, however, our cue to begin had sounded.

I scrambled to my spot and forced myself to forget Liam's odd comment as nothing but his way of trying to frazzle me, like always. We were almost halfway done with our performance, quickly approaching Liam's scene where he is to kneel. I had been so engrossed in the music and my next steps that I had not noticed that he had dropped down on the grassy stage at a slight angle, so his bent knee would be directly beneath my body as I kicked outward. With a hand locked on my own, he used my lack of balance – since my leg was in mid-air – to twirl me towards him. I barely had enough room, or time, to drop my leg down at his side before he slipped his arm around my waist and tugged me to his chest, planting a kiss to my mouth.

To say I was pissed would have been an understatement. I went to push away and scream at him until his eardrums bled, but I found myself trapped against his broad chest. He had yanked me down just as I went to catch myself, pinning my arms between our bodies. His hold on me was so tight that I had virtually no wiggle room. To add to the discomfort Liam had managed to keep a firm grip on my torso with one arm to allow the other to slide down my spin and rest at the small of my back.

No matter how hopeless it looked, however, I struggled against the surprisingly strong flower-lover with all my might, hoping to gain Kip's aid in fighting the man away from me. Of course, I was not getting anything out of that furry little idiot.

"Oh how beautiful! See I knew Princess Ven and Prince Liam would be able to set aside their differences and get along. Look how close they are!" How could that creature be revered by so many in the Flower Kingdom when he was just so…so…idiotic?

After what seemed to be hours of agonizing torture, Liam finally pulled away to give us both room to breathe. Oh, he was so lucky that my arms were still pinned. Because, if they weren't, I would have strangled the man where he kneeled. And that smirk wasn't cooling off my rage any. I was so angry, in fact, that I couldn't even form a coherent sentence to exclaim how upset I was. The only thing that seemed to want to leave my mouth was a practically yelled, "Why?"

"Why? Dear Ven, I believe a better question would be 'Why not?'" He answered back as he leaned forward again to steal another kiss. I bit down hard on my lower lip and twisted my head to the side as far as I could to escape, hoping my obvious refusal would make its way to Kip – and of course it didn't. I felt powerless, and I allowed one final, panic induced struggle to wrack through my body as I attempted to pull my legs out from underneath me and kick at my offender. All of my movements were laughed at as Liam closed in on me again, his eyes shining with victory. I started to feel a bit afraid now, having never seen Liam this wolfish before - hell I didn't think he had a devilish bone in his body. I felt like a slice of meat about to be devoured.

Feeling lips descend upon my lower jaw and make their way up to my ear, I froze and swallowed hard as my mind raced with potential escape routes. When I came up with nothing, I allowed a small whimper to crawl out of my mouth and felt tears well up in my eyes. I fought back against them, though, not wanting my tormentor to see any weakness from me. Before Liam could take my voice away from me, he hummed in surprise before chuckling deep from his chest and loosened his hold on me. "Look at that, Princess. It seems we have a visitor."

I blinked at him but pulled away as quickly as I could, taking that opportunity to scoot away, before turning around to investigate what Liam was speaking about. To my shock - and slight horror - there stood a positively murderous Tony along the lining of the same trees I had searched not hours before; his clenched fists shook with barely controlled rage at his sides, his eyes were narrowed almost to slits and he had his teeth bared slightly in a threatening gesture. I wasn't sure who I should have been fearing for, me or Liam, since Tony's eyes kept flicking back and forth between the two of us.

I could feel Liam reach out towards me again, and my previous fear and anger towards him resurfaced as I practically jumped away from his wandering hands. I quickly got to my feet and nearly ran a feet or two away from Liam's person before placing a hand to my throat, fiddling with my Magical Choker in reassurance. Despite my obvious distaste, Liam seemed positively elated and grinned at me.

"Well, well, well," he mused as he righted himself up on his feet and smiled charmingly towards Tony. "Fancy seeing you here, Tony. It isn't often that you take leave from the Practice Hall to partake in any festivals - expect for competitions." Motioning with a hand, he brought all attention to the makeshift stage once more, arching an eyebrow at the rabbit-man. "Am I mistaken, or did you come for a dance? That would be a splendid idea, however it seems that the only available dancing partner is currently taken. Isn't that right, Princess?" He turned a radiant smile to me that made me sick. _How could someone so conniving be so charming and calm? It just didn't seem fair._

Looking over to Tony I saw that he did not believe a word of Liam's preposterous story and was growing even more furious, if it were possible. The hairs on his body all seemed to be standing on edge, making him appear broader than normal and his posture was almost like a stalking predator, with his head low and his shoulders hunched up. His ears were at an odd angle, pointing straight back but he had stopped baring his teeth to the prince moments ago. I noticed that his eyes were still flickering from myself to Liam and back, but the dangerous, raged-crazed glint was not present when our eyes met. I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved or worried about that though.

"Is that so?" I heard him finally speak as he fought with himself to return to his usual demeanor. Unfortunately he only succeeded in straighting his spin, his body was still much to tense for him to feign calm. Despite that fact, he was able to keep his voice completely emotionless, not giving away any of his inner thoughts. "Forgive me for saying, but it did not seem Princess Ven was enjoying your "performance" as much as you were, Prince Liam."

\_-*~*-_/

It was a stand off.

Like in those old Western movies were the bad guy and the good guy face off, talking smack, before they draw their guns and attempt to blow each other away? The stares they were giving each other spoke so much louder than any argument I've ever heard. I realized that I was positioned directly in between the two, the damsel awaiting for a victor to emerge and sweep her off her feet. _Figuratively speaking, that is._

The silence had even gotten to Kip, who had scurried to my side and was look back and forth between the two men with a concerned stare before turning to me. "Who do you think will win, Princess?"

I had opened my mouth to answer him but changed my mind in the end and choose to remain silent. Who _would _win? If it weren't for today, I would have chosen Tony to win hand's down against Liam - and _not _just because of my bias. I always saw Liam as lover - preferably to flowers - not a fighter. He was tall, yes, but he didn't seem very muscular. Having only danced with Tony for the majority of my time here, I knew that for as lean he was he was all muscle. _Solid _muscle. I ended up learning early in my practices with Tony that you do _not _loose concentration while dancing with him, or the spills you will experience will be extremely painful. I still wince at the memory of my first fall; Tony had accidentally threw me a little too hard and the wall had met me much quicker than I would have liked. My back was bruised for a week.

But, now I looked back on the incident with Liam and froze. I am not the most powerful girl out there, but I know I can hold my own against most boys. Gym was my easiest class because I could use brute force and not get reprimanded for it. However, I never had met a man as strong as Liam was. His strength almost seemed _inhuman _when he had me in his hold. I couldn't move, not even a twitch of a finger. It was almost as if I was paralyzed. And I knew it wasn't all due to fear, panic had set in by that point and I had struggled ten-times as hard as when I was using my head. It didn't even phase him. Seeing that Liam, I couldn't say for sure who I thought would come out victorious in a fight between the two men. I just hoped that it didn't have to come to that.

"You don't say," I sucked in a breath as I looked up to see Liam grinning like a chestier cat. He was just way to cocky for this to end well. "So, are you saying that _you _could do a better job, Tony?"

I know it's considered rude, but I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping in shock. What was he doing? Liam wouldn't actually be taunting Tony, would he? And with something as prideful as dancing? Or...was it dancing Liam was speaking of? My heart lept as I looked from one male to the other, worrying my lower lip between blunt teeth. _Is Liam speaking of __**that**__? _I felt tears come to my eyes again in shame as pink stained my cheeks. I had to stop this before it got out of control and things were said!

Before I could raise my voice to either men, Tony's body language changed yet again. His posture seemed to tighten even further, like a spring ready to snap, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Giving the green-haired man a ferocious look, he shook his head before speaking. "I do believe that you are not speaking from an artistic point of view, Princes Liam."

From Liam came a horribly cruel laugh that had him practically doubling over. As he raise his head from his bent position, his eyes danced with amusement at Tony's obvious distaste. "Ah yes, nothing gets past you, does it Tony? Where you might be the perfect dancing partner, dancing does nothing for more _carnal _desires, wouldn't you say?" Laughing again at the humiliated look on my instructors face, Liam smirked wickedly at the albino rabbit before making his way towards me. Ensnaring me in his arms Liam looked over his shoulder to Tony, completely unfazed by my attempts to beat him away. "I will give you an ultimatum, Tony. If you can prove to me that you are not _just _a dancing instructor, that you have barer instincts like any other male, I will leave our precious Ven be and not approach her again. But," he purred, turning back to look at me and glide the back of his hand along my cheek. "If you fail, you will hand her over to me, willingly, and _I _will be her partner for the Ball of Saint-Lyon."

Releasing me from his hold, Liam walked passed me and towards the entrance of the clearing before turning back to look at both me and Tony. Giving us both one of his charming smiles, he waved a hand to use and bowed low. "I will give you until the day of the ball, Tony. Do not disappoint me." With a smirk to him and a wink to me he disappeared behind the trees, his laughter hanging in the air as he left.

Everything felt surreal, as if any minute now I would wake up back in my own bed on my day off and realize this was nothing but a horrible nightmare. Unfortunately, turning my frightened eyes towards Tony, I knew that this was no nightmare. This was reality and I was absolutely terrified by it. To add to my fright, Tony's eyes showed the same fear I felt in my heart as his body sagged in defeat. We stared at each other for a while, my tear filled gaze begging him to save me. He held strong until a thunderclap sounded above us, lighting the sky in a flash of white, and he clenched his eyes shut in anguish.

I felt my heart freeze at his look and could no longer hold back the sob that escaped my throat as the rain began to fall. We both stood there for what seemed like an eternity drowning in our own grief, an unspoken question hanging in between us like an ominous sign of things to come.

_What do we do now?_

\_-*~*-_/

**Okay, so I'm sorry if anyone actually liked Liam as a companion, but I did not. If you dislike how I used him as the evil 'I'm-going-to-steal-the-girl' character, than sorry. I'm not exactly happy about how this chapter came out, but I thought that it was a good way to cause a little bit of drama.**

**Hopefully it came out correctly and it makes my followers happy. I'll be starting on the fifth chapter as soon as possible.**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are much appreciated as usual.3**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: The Ordeal

I felt dirty, as if I could never wash off Liam's touch from my skin.

\_-*~*-_/

Immediately after the incident at the forest concert, I went straight home and vowed to remain in the security of my bathroom until I felt that every molecule in my skin was spotless. Yet, no matter how hard I scrubbed, how hot the water got or how much soap, shampoo and conditioner I used, I just couldn't escape that bastard of a man's touch.

My lips felt swollen and bruised. My body felt as if hands were still lingering on my skin, trying to stake their claim. My eyes were red and puffy from my sobbing, salt crusted along my lashes. I felt like such a fool, to allow that _thing_ to manipulate me like that - it had been too much to bare.

Kip had tried on several occasions to coax me out of my washroom, claiming that I'd feel much better if I laid in my bed and relaxed. The thought was tempting, but I knew it would do me no good. Every time I closed my eyes I saw that green-haired freak, his smile making my stomach churn. I was afraid to even sleep, for I knew he'd be there to haunt my dreams.

And so I continue to sit in this larger-than-nesccary tub, my knees pulled protective to my chest as the water around me slowly turned cold. I couldn't cry any longer, I had no more tears to shed. I wouldn't know what to cry over anyway. There were too many different variables to this equation, I couldn't decide which one deserved my attention first.

The one I kept wanting to be my main idea was my own sorrow.

_Goodrich_ - I absolutely refused to call him by his first name - _had practically laid claim to me!_ That vial creature honestly thought he could have me for himself. I couldn't fathom what I had done to warrant his affections. Sure, I had been polite to the man, but he's a prince. That is what one is suppose to do when in the audience of royalty, right?

My next headache came from that damned rabbit. I know that Tony had done nothing to cause this situation - he was only trying to save me from that monster, after all - but I couldn't stop the animosity I felt. If he had only shown up to the concert a few moments earlier none of this would have happened! Or if he had just grabbed me and taken off, instead of sticking around to argue with that monster.

I can't blame him, though. I know my anger is unjust. Tony had been ready to destroy the first thing that had moved towards me. He knew that his instincts would have taken over and he would have attacked anything that posed itself as a threat. He had to calm himself down, to regain some of his gentlemen-like demeanor.

_But he still let that thing hold you,_ my mind whispered, pulling those horrible memories back to the surface as the flower-lover's words rung through my head.

_"I will give you until the day of the ball, Tony. Do not disappoint me."_

A shudder of disgust raked through my body as I lowered myself back into the now freezing water, trying with all my might to ignore the cruel laughter as it echoed in my memory. _Only three more days,_ I realized, locking my gaze with the tile on the floor. _Only three more days of freedom._

Oh what I would give for a math test right now...

\_-*~*-_/

The day progressed quickly after that. Kip finally left me in peace, spouting off some nonsense about finding Tony and discussing our next line of action. I ignored him for the most part, just happy to have the silence I had been wishing for all evening and settled myself down on the bed with a cup of tea.

However I found out quickly that silence usually leads to thinking, and thinking was the last activity I wanted to be doing at this particular time.

As before I still was unable to find any wiggle room with this predicament. Liam seemed determined to win at all costs. I couldn't see a way out, not unless I suddenly disappeared. I had flirted with the thought of making Kip send me home - I mean, if he helped the Princess find my home why couldn't his powers do the same for me. I'm sure the Princess was bored of school by _now_.

The idea was very tempting, but I knew I wouldn't go through with it. It might have been different if I hadn't worked so hard for what I have gained here. I genuinely enjoy dancing and I've gotten surprisingly good, if I may say so myself. Tony has praised me on countless occasions for my natural talent, and the King seems so very proud of me. I was the daughter he had always wanted; driven, passionate. I couldn't just run away from all of that. This place had slowly grew on me; become my home, and these people my family.

_No, leaving was out of the question. But if I can't leave, then how?_ Sighing disheartenly I took a sip of my tea as my eyes drifted to the small window looking out on the pathway leading up to the practice hall. My cheeks burned slightly as I thought of Tony and the strange words Liam had taunted the rabbit-man with. I could vividly recall the deal the two had made - albeit one of the males wasn't _as_ enthusiastic as the other.

It all seemed so surreal, considering the altercation was almost entirely unprovoked. By the time Tony had made his appearance and calle out on Liam's rough and indecent treatment, it went from a simple conversation of rights and wrongs to a strange accusation of instinctual behavior. What had Liam teased about? _Carnal_ desires? I mentally mouthed the word to myself, tasting the foreign - yet not so foreign - concept in my head. I had had an idea of what that word meant after Liam's inappropriate remarks, but I wanted to know exactly what had been said. So, before locking myself away in the washroom this evening, I had ordered Kip to produce a dictionary for me in hopes of understanding this new word. What I found hadn't been healthy for an innocent mind - or a mostly innocent one.

"Relating to or given to sensual pleasures and appetites" it had read. The images that were painted in my head had me sprinting for the solitude of the washroom, fearing that Kip would gain his curiosity again and ask unwanted questions.

I can still feel myself flush a pretty pink as that strange tingling sensation spread throughout my limbs like a poison. Still seated on my bed in silence, I fought to understand the motive behind Liam's racy retorts. Was it simply natural for men to pick fun on each other over embarrassing material? If so, why had I been dragged into the whole mess. I couldn't help but feel as though Liam had far more up his sleeves then just a wager.

_And to use a man's sex-life as a pawn in said wager..._ I could fathom where Liam got such a crazy idea, but I definitely know neither Tony or I enjoyed it. _As if I would **actually** attempt to be inappropriate with my instructor. A crush is one thing but this-_

_Well, why not?_ A part of me suggested with a sly grin. _Tony's a male and he **must** have instinctual desires like every other being of his sex, perhaps even more so beings that he's a rabbit,_ the giggle that lingered in my mind had me as red as a passion fruit while images of my younger cousin's pet rabbits came to mind.

I distinctly remember the summer we had visited her and her family. She had just purchased two adorable gray bunnies for her birthday. Me, my cousin and her siblings all played with the furry creatures for most of the visit, but soon it was time to go. Having promised to come back the next year, I was pleased to find out it was possible. However, when we arrived things were very different from what I had remembered. Those two adorable bunnies had exploded in numbers, almost tripling their numbers in the short span of a year.

"Oh god," I whimpered, putting my head in my hands. My brain continued to torment me with racy images and ideas. How was I supposed to face that man now with all of these thoughts and strange feelings? I was barely able to function around him before, now it will be impossible.

And to make matters worse, I _knew_ I would be forced to succumb to these frighteningly desires if I am to escape Liam's clutches. I just wasn't sure if I was ready to throw my childhood aside to accomplish that yet.

\_-*~*-_/

I have been left alone for hours to my dangerous thoughts, so much so that the moon was already lighting up the night sky. Kip had returned for only a moment to announce that him and Tony were going to continue to work throughout the night, and to not wait up for much longer.

I hadn't had the time to give him a reply before he rushed out again, carrying out some papers and books in his short, little arms. I didn't give him much thought anyway, I assured myself that both men were working as quickly as they could to come up with a plan, I just had to be patient.

After having had all that time to myself, I had finally realized that there wasn't much else I could do _but_ go along with Liam's demands. However, I was also very sure that Tony would not Be thrilled at my level of acceptance. With that being said I now sit here, unsure on how to go about it. Having an endless supply of books on hand from the palace's library, I forced back my embarrassment and searched for books that would help me find my "womanly charm", hoping to gain a little knowledge to give me strength.

As humiliating I knew this would be, I just _had_ to go forth with my plan: seducing my dancing instructor. Granted that I had virtually no experience in this particular art - my friends and I were still too young to dabble in that sort of thing - my mind was supplying me with potential ideas on what might work. I just wasn't sure if I had the courage.

In the books I had read, none of them gave you a step-by-step guid on the how-to of seduction, just that apparently all women have the ability and that how well you succeed is determined by your self-confidence. _If that is true, I have a horrible feeling that I'm going to fail miserably at this plan,_ I whined internally, chewing on my lower lip in worry. _What if I am unable to entice a reaction from him?_

_He **is** just a male,_ the voice in my head reassured me. _Nothing but a testosterone fiuled male. He may be the upmost gentlemen in the light of day, but given enough temptation..._

I had to cut off my train of thought to save face. I had never given it much thought to how Tony would act outside his element. My curiosity spiked at the idea, but I didn't feel that I could stomach his pure, animalistic instincts. If I were to push _too much_...

_Enough!_ Shaking my head once more, I shoved all of my thoughts away for the night with a frustrated huff. _I guess I'll just have to wait for morning,_ I decided as I slipped underneath the covers on my bed. _Maybe by then I'll have ironed out my plan._

_\_-*~*-_/  
><em>

__**Hello again lovelies. Sorry for the long wait, I won't even try to excuse myself.**

**I will apologize for my short chapter this time around. I thought after the fright Ven and Tony had received in my last go at this, we needed a change of pace to see into their heads.**

**Yes, I said _their _heads. I'm flirting with the idea of making my sixth chapter about this same night but in Tony's point of view. I am unsure if I will be able to succeed in portraying him correctly, however.**

**I don't feel like I will be able to keep Tony in his "noble" ways for long. Granted I would want him to have conflicting feelings regarding what happened, I am just unsure on how far I want those feelings to go.**

**The rating might have to be altered to adjust my thoughts about the next chapter for his account of this night.**

**If you think I should change the rating please feel free to voice your opinions. I'll gladly attempt any and all suggestions I am given, as long as they are within my abilities.**

**Until next time, darlings.~**


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